Stealth Technology

ABSTRACT:

Stealth refers to the act of trying to hide or evade detection. Stealth technology is ever increasingly becoming a paramount tool in battle especially high technology wars if one may occur in the future where invincibility means invincibility. Able to strike with impunity, stealth aircraft, missiles and warships are virtually invisible to most types of military sensors. The experience gained at the warfront emphasizes the need to incorporate stealth features at the design stage itself. According to conventional military wisdom, surprise is the best form of attack. With ever more sophisticated methods of detection, however, catching the enemy unawares has becoming increasingly difficult. Thus paving way to the development of increasingly sophisticated technologies that help in evading the enemy's ever vigilant eyes. Stealth Technology essentially deals with designs and materials engineered for the military purpose of avoiding detection by radar or any other electronic system. Stealth, or anti-detection, technology is applied to vehicles (e.g., tanks), missiles, ships, and aircraft with the goal of making the object more difficult to detect at closer and closer ranges thus providing an element of surprise in the attacks. Attacking with surprise gives the attacker more time to perform its mission and exit before the defending force can counterattack. For example, If a surface to air missilea type of antiaircraft battery defending a target observes a bomb falling and surmises that there must be a stealth aircraft in the vicinity it is still unable to respond if it cannot get a lock on the aircraft in order to feed guidance. As stated earlier stealth technology can be looked upon as a perfect blend between the engineering skills of "designing" and "technology". And for attaining stealth various dectection techniques have to be surpassed.